Recent research on the neurobiology of imitation has gone beyond the study of its 'core' mechanisms, focus of investigation of the past years.. The current trends can be grouped into four main categories: (1) non 'core' neural mechanisms that are also important for imitation; (2) mechanisms of control, in both imitative learning and inhibition of imitation; (3) the developmental trajectory of n...

Action imitation, once thought to be a behavior almost exclusively limited to humans and the great apes, surprisingly also has been found in a number of bird species. Because imitation has been viewed by some psychologists as a form of intelligent behavior, there has been interest in how it is distributed among animal species. Although the mechanisms responsible for action imitation are not cle...

OBJECTIVE The catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism has been associated with cognitive and behavioral phenotypes in schizophrenia. Whether COMT genotype is beneficial may depend on phenotype definition. The authors examined the effects of COMT genotype on a task that distinguishes imitation from reversal learning. They hypothesized that the Val and Met alleles would be asso...

This paper gives an overview of research in human and animal imitation mechanisms. The different types of imitative behavior are described as well as the evolutionary reasons for imitation abilities in humans and animals. Known and hypothesized mechanisms behind imitation are also covered. The concepts Goal emulation, Response facilitation and Stimulus enhancement are often confused with pure i...

This paper describes research in which we model social interactions between artificial agents using real robots. We show that variations that arise from embodiment allow certain behaviours, those that are more robust to the processes of embodied imitation, to emerge and evolve during multiple cycles of imitation. We test 3 memory strategies: no memory, limited memory and unlimited memory, and e...

Herding behavior in group (collaborative) decision making has been studied purely as imitation of others and discounting own information. However, collaboration is a dynamic process and decision making should be viewed with this dynamic in mind. Drawing on the "The Laws of Imitation" from sociology, we offer a new perspective to understand herding behavior in group decision making. By acknowled...

Although imitation problems have been associated with autism for many years, the issue if these problems are a core deficit in autism remains subject of debate. In this review article, the question if autism imitation problems fulfil the criteria of uniqueness, specificity, universality, persistency, precedence and broadness is explored and discussed. Findings of this review suggest that there ...

The relation between imitation and cooperation in evolutionary settings presents complex aspects. From one hand, in any environment where egoists are favored over cooperators by selection processes, imitation should lead to a further spreading of the former ones due to the combined processes of individual selection and replication of successful behaviors. On the other hand, if cooperators succe...

A general linear model is developed to account for the effects of direct phenotypic imitation and contrast of sibs on one another. Specific predictions from an imitation/contrast model depend upon three assumptions. They are (1) the type ofprocess (imitation or contrasO; (2) the stage of the process at the time phenotypes are measured; and (3) sibling constellation variables such as the number,...

The goal-directed theory of imitation (GOADI) states that copying of action outcomes (e.g., turning a light switch) takes priority over imitation of the means by which those outcomes are achieved (e.g., choice of effector or grip). The object < effector < grip error pattern in the pen-and-cups task provides strong support for GOADI. Experiment 1 replicated this effect using video stimuli. Exper...